My Cantor-Kaufman Family

 After many years of not giving up, I was contacted by a cousin from great-grandma Sarah Kaufman’s family. The only cousins I have connected with have all come from great-grandma Sarah’s brother Samuel’s line. Samuel and his family moved to Fall River, Massachusetts about 6 months after their third child, Moshe Kapil Kaufman, was born.

 

I was given a lot of information from Cousin Ruth (Gamson, z”l) many, many years ago via regular letters. She had told me that Beverly Gamson Melanson had the family recipes, but didn’t know where they ended up after her death. I still haven’t found out where the recipes ended up.

 

The cousin that contacted me is the granddaughter of Dora Kaufman Garonsky. She had asked me about her father’s side of the family, which I have tried to get her more information - I did already have information on his family, but I still haven’t been able to answer her question as to why they changed the family name from Shapiro to Superior.

 

Since we have been communicating, I have gotten some family photos of her family. Wedding photos are always great, a start of a new union and the year is known and when there are group wedding photos, you get to see the extended family. I got two photos of Estelle Garonsky Superior, one was take after their marriage, so it is both Estelle and Richard.

 

I also got a nice photo of Estelle’s brother, Jordan Garonsky, later known as JayGaron, who was the literary agent for John Grisham. I previously only had a photo from the newspaper.

 

I was given a bit more information on Estelle, Richard and Dora. The best thing for me was getting Dora’s cookie recipe. I did know she kept a kosher home and this recipe had interesting liquid in this recipe, which keeps these cookies parve – cherry juice! The recipe seems to be a nice twist on a sugar cookie with cinnamon and sugar, along with cut cherries on cookie tops. I hope I will be up to being in the kitchen and baking soon so I can try this recipe!

I am still hoping I can find descendants of Max Kaufman Cantor. I only know he had a daughter named Gertrude Cantor. Max changed his surname back to the family’s original surname of Cantor after he immigrated to New York. My mom told me that she remembered that Cantor cousins visited them in Florida, but she didn’t remember their names or how exactly they were cousins. I was able to tell her the relationship to the Cantor family, but still haven’t found out who visited her and her family. I also still looking for descendants of Rose Kaufman Forman. I do know their other sister, Fanny Kaufman Cooperman never had any children.

I am also hoping I can get more family recipes. Pesac is around the corner and I always think about family recipes. I have an Esterson matzah ball recipe and I also have my great-aunt Babs’ Passover Rolls recipe.

Ilona Frankel Family Breakthrough

 

When I first learned about Ilona, I only knew that she was a cousin of Eva Steuer Halas and her mother was Eva’s aunt Borishka. I of course jump right in to search Eva’s Steuer uncles and their families.

I did find a Borbala Steuer, daughter of Nathan Steuer and Bella Jozefovits. So for while I thought I found Ilona Frankel’s mother, and kept on searching to find out Ilona’s maiden name and hopefully, who her father was.

Just two days ago I hit the jackpot! I found the actual marriage record for Ilona and Artur Frenkel. Sometime between Ilona and Artur’s arrival to the USA, there was a name change. Artur became Arthur and changed the spelling of his last name to Frankel. The marriage record has Ilona’s maiden name, Fröhlinger.

 

Now that I found her maiden name I was able to find Ilona’s birth record. Her birth record of course gave both of her parents’ names. Now I know her father was Móric Fröhlinger. Ilona and her one brother I found, Lajos Fröhlinger, both were born in Satoraljaujhely, Satoraljaujhely Jaras, Zemplen Megye, Hungary. I also found out Lajos married Róza Gebei on 15 Oct 1939 in Budapest and that Lajos perished in the Holocaust.

 

I also have uncovered Ilona’s paternal aunts and uncles, as well as her paternal grandmother’s maiden name. Ilona’s paternal grandparents were Ignácz (Chajen Izsak) Frölhinger and Pepi/Peppi Kronovicz. Ignácz and Pepi’s children are Moses Wolf, Eszti, Hani and Móric. Moses Wolf was illegitimate and the youngest son of Ignácz is Bernat Berl and his mother is listed as Betti Kronovicz.

 

Arthur and Ilona emigrated on 10 Feb 1940. Their final destination was to go to Sam Gerik, 606 Muller, St. Clairton, Pennsylvania. Ilona and Arthur left Pittsburgh between 1942 and 1945 and settled in Cleveland. They had two daughters in Cleveland. Ilona and Arthur retired in Hollywood, Boward County, Florida, where Arthur died on 15 Dec 1986. Ilona died 14 Mar 1999 in Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida.

 

Sherlock Continues Searching for Leber/Laber Clues

 As I mentioned previously, I continually look for more information on the Leber family. I have found out a lot of new information on my great-grandmother Ida Leber Steuer’s family recently. I still have many questions ‘though.  Morris Leber was born ca 1888 in Tarnów, Galicia. I know he emigrated in1885. In he worked in a stationary store and lived with his brother William, as did their sister Sarah. I don’t know if Morris or Sarah ever married or if either of them had any children. William Laber and his family lived at 734 E Fifth Street, Manhattan Borough, New York City, New York, USA in 1910.  William moved to Yorktown Heights and opened Laber's Dept Store, ca 1915.  In May 1948, Laber Dept Store had a going out of business sale. 

LABER'S Department Store

Does anyone know anything about Morris or Sarah Leber (or Laber)?  

Leber - (pronounced Leiber), Yiddish, meaning "beloved".

Blema Leber married her first cousin, Max Krantz, 20 Mar 1900 in Manhattan.  His parents were Osias Kranz and Annie Leber. I definitely would love to uncover more information on Max, his parents and most definitely information on Annie Leber. I also found out that Annie and Yechiel Mechel (Max) Leber’s parents’ names were Henoch Leber and Cywie (Celia) Rosenblatt.  I would like to know if they had other children.

Blema "Bertha" & Max Krantz with Willie & Jenny Laber (L to R)

I found the 1888 Hamburg passenger list for Mechel "Max" Leber. Mechel lived in Rzepienik, Galicia, Austria before setting sail from Hamburg o 27 Apr 1888. He arrived at the port of New York City, New York on the German ship SS Hungaria. He traveled in steerage. He was a trader/dealer in Rzepienik.

More sagas of Sherlock the genealogist to come.

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My Cantor-Kaufman Family

 

After many years of not giving up, I was contacted by a cousin from great-grandma Sarah Kaufman’s family. The only cousins I have connected with have all come from great-grandma Sarah’s brother Samuel’s line. Samuel and his family moved to Fall River, Massachusetts about 6 months after their third child, Moshe Kapil Kaufman, was born.

Sarah Kaufman Kushner 

I was given a lot of information from Cousin Ruth (Gamson, z”l) many, many years ago via regular letters. She had told me that Beverly Gamson Melanson had the family recipes, but didn’t know where they ended up after her death. I still haven’t found out where the recipes ended up.

 

The cousin that contacted me is the granddaughter of Dora Kaufman Garonsky. She had asked me about her father’s side of the family, which I have tried to get her more information - I did already have information on his family, but I still haven’t been able to answer her question as to why they changed the family name from Shapiro to Superior.

 Dora Kaufman Garonsky

Since we have been communicating, I have gotten some family photos of her family. Wedding photos are always great, a start of a new union and the year is known and when there are group wedding photos, you get to see the extended family. I got two photos of Estelle Garonsky Superior, one was take after their marriage, so it is both Estelle and Richard.

 

I also got a nice photo of Estelle’s brother, Jordan Garonsky, later known as JayGaron, who was the literary agent for John Grisham. I previously only had a photo from the newspaper.

 Jay Garon on the right 

I was given a bit more information on Estelle, Richard and Dora. The best thing for me was getting Dora’s cookie recipe. I did know she kept a kosher home and this recipe had interesting liquid in this recipe, which keeps these cookies parve– cherry juice! The recipe seems to be a nice twist on a sugar cookie with cinnamon and sugar, along with cut cherries on cookie tops. I hope I will be up to being in the kitchen and baking soon so I can try this recipe!

 

I am still hoping I can find descendants of Max Kaufman Cantor. I only know he had a daughter named Gertrude Cantor. Max changed his surname back to the family’s original surname of Cantor after he immigrated to New York. My mom told me that she remembered that Cantor cousins visited them in Florida, but she didn’t remember their names or how exactly they were cousins. I was able to tell her the relationship to the Cantor family, but still haven’t found out who visited her and her family. I also still looking for descendants of Rose Kaufman Forman. I do know their other sister, Fanny Kaufman Cooperman never had any children.

First STEUER DNA Match Confirmed Family Connection

 For the first time, I have been able to connect a Steuer DNA match with one of my Steuer branches!

My cousin Michael sent me information on his newest DNA match. His newest DNA match is a Steuer via his maternal side. His mother, Clara Steuer Kord, was the daughter of Desidero/Desider (David) Steuer and Lenke/Lanke Vamos (Ileana Weisz-Vamos).

 

Lenke’s family changed their name from Weisz to Vamos, as many other families. She was born about 1885, Fersig Syatmar Hungary. During WWII she was able to get to Paris. About 1949/1950 she went to Canada and lived with her sister Rose for a while. She crossed the Canadian border at the Buffalo, New York Border Crossing. Her arrival contact was her daughter Clara. Lenke then went to Ohio to live with her daughter Clara and family.

 

Desidero/Desider “David” Steuer was a Literature Professor at a gymnasium in Budapest, as far as we know. He is a mystery to their family because before the war, he and Lenke separated and officially divorced on her border crossing from Canada. I am 99.9% sure he is the second son of Rabbi Abraham Steuer and Sari (Sarlota) Mandelbaum. I have his name as Deszo from my telephone conversations with Eva Steuer Halas. She told me he perished in a concentration camp, but wasn’t sure which one.

 

It was when I learned that Clara “Klarika”, who was born in Budapest, but married in Satu Mare (Crisana-Maramures / Romania) came to light, a light bulb went off for me  . I immediately wrote her son and asked if he recognized the name Eva and George Halas. The reply I got back was "Wow! Eva was Clara's cousin."

I then asked if theyheard about Eva Steuer Halas' grandfather, Rabbi Abraham Steuer. I did have an idea who "David" was in relation to Eva's family, but wanted to know more before coming to a conclusion.

I was sent a copy of Clara Steuer and Joseph Katz's (later Kord) marriage record. A witness listed on their marriage record was Dr. Eugene Steuer. Dr. Eugene Steuer was born Izrael, his Hungarian name was Jeno. It so happens that he was a physician and during his military service, 1915-1918, he was the Head Field Doctor in Albania, Italy. He later perished in 1943 at Auschwitz, along with his wife Margit Friedmann Steuer and daughter Etelka Eszter Steuer.

Dr. Eugene Steuer was one of Eva Steuer Halas' paternal uncles. This makes me even more convinced that "David" was in fact Rabbi Abraham Steuer’s second oldest son, known to me from Eva as Dezso. Up until now I only knew that Dezso Steuer was born 30 Nov 1875, Szatmar, Okorito, Szatmar, Hungary and that he perished in a concentration camp. Eva didn’t remember at the time I spoke with her (on the phone), his profession and I didn’t think about asking about his wife or children.

I then got a couple of photos, one of Eva and George Halas and another of Eva, her daughter Monica, Clara’s daughter Mariana and another relative Fran. Since these photos came from Clara’s daughter, it is one more link between Clara and Eva.

Clara and Joseph first immigrated in 1939 with their son Victor to Canada. Her maternal uncle Ernest Vamos lived in San Francisco, California, who was their sponsor to the United States. Clara and Joseph settled in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Their daughter was born there and both Clara and Joseph were naturalized in Ohio.

 

It’s unfortunate that the cousins are no longer with us, especially since I have found many other cousins via birth records. There were other Steuer cousins living in Toronto that I wished I could have connected Eva with. There still is one living cousin in Calgary who is a descendant of Rabbi Abraham Steuer’s brother, Salamon Steuer.

Still looking for more information on David/Dezso Steuer and "Aunt Borishka."

Kushner Cousins Identified

 

I never thought I would find any of my Kushner cousins, especially since I know that Herman Kushner, even though he married, had no children of his own. His wife did have a child by her first marriage. I also have known for years that Nate Kushner had one daughter, Honey. Grandma told me about her niece Honey herself, but I have yet been unable to find out if she ever married. I have been in touch with Nettie’s family members and was in touch with one of Celia’s daughters for a while.

 

Great-grandpa Jacob had four brothers who lived passed childhood. His brother Abe, whose photo with his wife was always on grandma’s dresser while I was growing up, only had one child: Edwin I Kushner. Edwin was a Flight Officer and had received awards and decorations. The National Jewish Welfare Board first had Edwin as missing, and then declared dead. Edwin died just 3 weeks before WWII ended.

Edwin I Kushner, front

As for Jacob’s brother Samuel, I’m not sure if I actually found the correct records for him. Grandma wasn’t sure about his wife’s name, but thought it may have been Leah. I don’t know if Joseph had any children or not. I did however know that George married Lena Bloom and that they had two daughters: Nettie and Rose. I also know that Nettie married and had two daughters and their last name was Butler. This is because George, Lena and Rose moved from New York to Atlanta and lived with Nettie and her daughters after she became a widow. I knew, according to the 1940 census, that Nettie was a widow and her daughters were 6 and 10 years old.

 

Just a few days ago I discovered that someone has Nettie, her two daughters and David Butler in his family tree. I contacted him and come to find out, he lives in my old stomping ground! He also has more information on Nettie - she had another husband and information her two daughters and their families! I was so excited, I stayed up until 4:30 AM looking at all of his information on my newly discovered cousins. Thank you California!

Answers held in a 21 Sep 1958 letter

I remembered getting a copy of a letter that spoke about the STEUER family lore. I decided to read it again and dissect it. Since I keep want to go backwards and find out more on our ancestors, I wanted more clarity in where to look.

There is a letter from Minnie & Barney Steuer, dated 21 Sep1958, to Kermit & Henrietta states that the STEUER name doesn't go back more than three generations. It does state that Bernhardt, Aaron and Julius were brothers and about 6 brothers stayed behind in Hungary as as they knew. The descendants of those brothers had either been lost track of or were murdered in the holocaust.

Pg 1 of Barney Steuer's letter to Kermit, 1958

This letter continues to state that the father of these brothers was not STEUER but Yudkovitch (Judkowitz, Judkiewicz (Hungarian spelling), Judkovics). The story came from Max David Steuer, known as "Pop" to his family, the son of Bernhardt. The story was one of Bernhardt's brothers was bethrothed to a young lady whose last name was STEUER. She was an only child and her father, anxious to have the family name perpetuated asked the prospective son-in-law (whom is still unknown at this time) to take the name of Steuer when he married his daughter.

This brother did take on the name STEUER and the, gradually, one by one the other brothers did the same. The only one who didn’t do it was Bernhardt who came to the USA as Judkowitz, not Steuer, so said by Barney. I do have Hungarian birth records for six of Bernhardt’s children, all born in Bihar Megye, Hungary and some had the last name of Judkiewicz and Mary and Max were born as Steuer.

Some birth records for Bernhardt (Berl) & Fanny's children

The brother I have as not changing his name was Hersk Judkiewicz. His grandson, Josef/Joseph Judkovic was born in Csebinye, Zemplen Megye, Hungary and arrived in New York on 11 February 1898 at the age of 17. He had been told by his father, Abraham Judkiewicz, never to change his name. Marc Judkowitz is a known DNA match to Arthur and Michael, Bernhardt’s great-grandsons and to one of Julius Steuer’s (Cleveland branch) great-great-grandson.

Josef Judkovic Passenger Record

Bernhardt and Fanny may have emigrated under the name of Yudkatitch/Judkiewicz/Judkowitz or someother spelling for the name. The story Max Steuer told, after his father Bernhardt arrived in New York and being introduced as Mr. Steuer, he found the conflict of names embarrassing and then took the name of Steuer as well. Max went on to state that the family was Hungarian and mentioned they were from Grossvardein (the German name for Nagyvarad) and Homona (where the famous Max D Steuer was from).

I have often wondered why Max referred to the place he was born as Grossvardein instead of Nagyvarad if the family had always been Hungarian. The letter from Barney continues to state that the place where Max was born was at one time part of Bohemia, hence could be the reason for the German name. Bernhardt’s brother Aaron was a vintor in Bohemia before he and his family emigrated to New York (before Bernhardt emigrated).

Nagyvarad (Grossvardein) are known today as Oradea, Romania. In Hebrew and Yiddish texts the German name was used. It’s known that Jews in Nagyvarad were immigrants from Bohemia and Moravia. These Jews adopted the Hungarian language and culture earlier than other Jewish communities in Hungary.

 

Nagyvarad, Hungary

I haven’t been able to find any Bohemian records. I do have some theories as to other family members because of their spouses family names are names that others in the extended Steuer family married into, so this tends to lead to the general areas they were from. Still missing other brothers, so there still are large puzzle pieces missing. Maybe one of these days I will find more records and be able to go back a few more generations.